Idaho semi-weekly world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1875-1908, 1887-09-02
GENEROUS PRESCOTT.
The Great American Historians Wonds
fui Literary Mnrnanimity.

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The Great American Historian's wonder
ful Literary Magnanimity.
Literary and scientific men may b,
great, but they are human. Their lives
| therefore, are often full of rivalries
and the public peace is disturbed by
their contests for precedence in dis
covery. There was, many years ago,
! a warm controversy between several
claimants of the honor of discovering
the fact that inhaling sulphuric ether
would mitigate or annihilate pain. The
dispute was revived when a benevolent
gentleman announced his intention OF
erecting n monument in the Boston
Public Garden in honor of the henefi-
cent discovery. Whereupon, a wit
suggested in one of the newspapers
that all the claimants should be repre-
scented on the sides of the monument
while over them all, in letters of gold.
should be written the word Either :"
The pun made the town laugh, aud
no serious controversy was possible
afterwasd.
MIR. Whipple introduces this anec-
dote in his biographical essay on Mot
ley, the Historian" to set forth the
singular freedom of w. III. Prescott
from the bcsetting sin Of men of letters.
After Motley had matured his plans for
writing history of the Dutch Repub-
lie. he learned that Prescott had made
large preparations for writing the
History of Philip the Second Of Spain. y
though his History Of the Conquest of
Peru" had not yet been published
Prescott was then the most popular of
American historians; Motley WIS
known only as the anthor of two UNI
successful novels, He called upon Pres
cott, unfolded to him his plans. aud in
dicated the points where the historian
Of '.The Rise Of the Da.ch Republic"
would cross the path of the historian of
Philip the Second. !" He then ex-
pressed his " illingness to abandon his
project rather than interfere with Pres
colts intended work. The genial
Prescott, incapable of envy. assured
Motley that the two books would not
iniure each other. and then warmly en-
couragcd him to carry ont his work,
telling him that he was at liberty to
take home all the books in his pres
cott's) library bearing upon the sub
ject
''HAd the result Of that Interview"
said Motley, "been different; had he
distinctly stated, or even vaguely
limited. that ii would be as well If
should select some other topic: or had
he sprinkled me with the cold water of
conventional and commonplace en-
couragement, should have gone from
him with chill upon my mind. aud no
doubt have laid down the pen at once.
But Prescott even crowned his
literary magnanimity by calling atten-
ton, in his preface to the History of
Philip the Second, +" to the forthcoming
work of Motley, and that. too, with
generous praise of his brother historian.
Prescott did not live to complete his
work, but IL he had lived as long as
the Patriarehs. he could have added
nothing to the purity and generosity
of his literary character. He, the
most popular of American historians,
whose works readers in Europe and
America were eager to receive, an
nounces TO them, with words which an
tieipates his brothers fame. that they
will soon have the pleasure of reading
from another historian more minute
account of the revolt of the Neither
lands than he had given, because it
was but an episode of his history.
Motley could never speak of his brother
historians disinterestedncss without
deep emotion. He felt the amiable
heart and the stainless purity Of Pres
colt to be something which should be
reverenced. YOUTHS Companion.